Electrically driven system of instruments through keyboard and pedals



Aug. 30, 1932. A. BARBIERI ,3

ELECTRICALLY DRIVEN SYSTEM OF INSTRUMENTS THROUGH KEYBOARD AND PEDALS Filed June 20. 192'! 2 Sheets-Sheet ,1

i ,25 L i i 4 14 zzr E I L )2 Ear: gr I I/VYeNTU I;

Aug. 30, 1932. I v S 1,874,154

ELECTRICALLY DRIVEN SYSTEM INSTRUMENTS THROUGH KEYBOARD AND PEDALS Filed June 20. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Aug. 30, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ANGELO BARBIERI, OI MILAN, ITALY Application filed June 20, 1927, Serial No. 200,195, and in Italy June 13, 1926.

' This invention relates to a system of instruments formed by a piano and by a series of wind or percussion instruments, with or without trilled notes, which may be electrically connected with a key-board of whatever usual piano and with a little system of pedals, in such a Way that the pianist himself may play upon the piano all other instruments of the system, which form the so called jazz, or a part of these instruments, in order to obtain a predetermined effect.

The said combination is embodied through a contactor according to the orchestral devices described with the addition of jazz instruments (big and little drum, triangle, plates Chinese box and so on) and having the characteristic of the trilled notes, which are necessary for some of the said instruments (Chinese box, little drum and xylophone).

The jazz instruments drive is simply obtained through a little system of pedals; the trilled notes, which are given by the system of pedals or by the keyboard, are obtained through a switch provided with rotating drum, driven by a little electrical motor, which cuts off by uniform and rapid intervals the circuits of the solenoids driving the different instruments.

A switch, placed within reach of the pianists hand, allows moreover to cut off from the piano key-board one or more of the driven instruments, as it happens in the above mentioned orchestral.

The nature of the invention will be easily understood with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view showing the invention applied to a Xylophone.

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the device used in connection with drums.

In the drawings: -1- and are the wires of the electrical line, which supplies the electrical instrumental system: 3 is one of the keys of the key-board: 4 is the electrical systemof contactors, of whatever known type, connecting the key-board of the piano to the solenoids of the percussion instruments; *5 isa Xylophone; -6- is one of the small hammers of the said xylophone; 7- is little drum; 8-- and 9 are the drum poles; -10 is a big drum; 11 is the big drum pole; -12- is a solenoid electrically connected with the key -3, the armature 13 of which is pivotally connected with the little hammer 6- of the Xylophone 5, so as to move, by its displacement eifected by the current circulating in 12- the said hammer; I4 and 15 are the connecting wires between 12. and 3; 16- is a drum switch inserted in the circuit of the solenoids, similar to 12 and connectedwith the different keys of the piano, the said switch 16-- having. the object of producing through its shutting, tremolo notes, is driven by a motor 16, which opens by uniform and rapid intervals the circuits of the solenoids acting on the single instruments -1.' is the system of pedals; 18 is the contactor sys tem; 19-- is the solenoid which, through the bar 20- drives the pole 11 of the big drum, and is connected with the system of pedals 17 through the wires 21 and 22-; 23- and 24 are the connecting wires between the contactor system -l8 of 17-- and the solenoids (not shown in the drawings) intended for acting the poles -8 and 9-- of the little drum; the circuit of the wires -23 and --24- comprises the switch -16; 25- is a hand switch, formed, for instance, by an oval cam, which when suitably turned, produces the approaching or the detaching of the contact points 26. relating to the switch 6.

The working of the instrumental system so obtained is clearly apparent from the joined drawings, so that further explanations are not required.

Details of embodiment of the instrumental system and of the corresponding scheme. may of course be varied from those ones described and shown, without departing from the present invention.

Having now particularly described and ascertained my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare what I claim is:

In combination with an electrical instrumental system including-a, piano and a system of percussion instruments adapted to be operated simultaneously with the piano in operationof the latter to accompany the same, a source of electrical supply for the percussion instruments, :1 switc connected to cer tain of the percussion instruments and adapted to continuously rotate in periodical- 1y closing and cutting of! the source of electrical supply of said instruments to produce notes with the eii'ect of tremolo to be produced by the latter, and an electrical motor for actuating said switch.

In testimony whereof I afix my signature.

A. BARBIERI. 

